Former Wales rugby star-turned running back Louis Rees-Zammit is pursuing a contract with a new NFL team after being cut from the Kansas City Chiefs.
Rees-Zammit was one of the players released from Kansas City as part of the team’s mandatory effort to trim their roster down to 53 names before a deadline set for Tuesday.
With Rees-Zammit a free agent, he’s now set to sign with any team that has interest in him. At least one team has already expressed such interest.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are reportedly close to finalizing a deal with Rees-Zammit for him to join their squad, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
It’s not clear if this will be a practice squad deal or a main roster invite.
Louis Rees-Zammit is close to finalizing a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars
Rees-Zammit previously played for the Kansas City Chiefs, who cut him to reduce roster size
Jacksonville already has a packed running back room with the likes of Travis Etienne, Tank Bigsby, D’Ernest Johnson, and Keilan Robinson on the roster. Robinson is currently listed on injured reserve.
Across three preseason games with Kansas City, Rees-Zammit only managed six carries for a total of 22 yards and one catch for three yards.
His best performance was in a 34-21 loss to the Chicago Bears – where Rees-Zammit rushed four times for 21 total yards. But he was only fourth on the team in rushing.
The former Wales wing made a shocking decision earlier this year to quit rugby and went through a boot camp to try and impress NFL scouts during a pro day.
After attracting interest from multiple teams, he made the decision to ink a three-year deal with the reigning back-to-back Super Bowl champions.
A new rule, introduced this season, means all 32 teams are given an extra practice squad slot for international players such as Rees-Zammit.
